Kill the Messenger?

It's about power, trust, and transparency

We've told you about the ongoing war between grassroots Republican voters and the Party establishment in Arkansas — will the people ever gain a real voice in Party affairs, or will the Republicans always be a top-down organization run by Party elites?

Conflict within the Faulkner County Republican Committee (FCRC) is a concrete example of that war as FCRC grapples with divisive gossip, back-biting, and innuendo brought to a head by the forced removal of FCRC member Jimmie Cavin. It's a sad state of affairs, coming at the same time as the historic mandate for populism the voters gave President Donald J. Trump on November 5.

FCRC leadership and the investigative committee are pursuing a witch hunt to remove Jimmie without due process after certain members made complaints. Why those complaints were taken seriously enough within the County Committee to take action when others’ concerns are consistently ignored, we do not know. Anyway, Jimmie has become a scapegoat for the "problems" being complained about within FCRC, the same issues causing problems and disruptions writ large across the Republican Party state-wide.

Power First

On a high level, it's first a question of power and credibility within the Party. Who has it? Who gets it? We're told "you do the work, you get the authority" and gain credibility within the Party. However, the RPA, Saline County Young Republicans, and statewide Republican Women shredded that standard over the past couple of years by consistently and arbitrarily attacking and removing numerous very active, hard-working grassroots members with no regard for due process, the same as FCRC is now doing with Jimmie.

Are the concerns of some Party members more important than others? Why do elected lawmakers continue to hold all the power at the state level? Should the Republican Governor be the hidden head of the Party? Can Party members challenge the powers-that-be? Can Party members effectively blackball a fellow member because they do not like their style? Why can't Party members openly discuss issues of concern in Party meetings? Is it really only the donors and their money that get a voice within the Party?

Trust is Key

Next comes trust and transparency, linked together because without transparency there can be no trust. FCRC does not trust its members, nor do many (most) of the members trust all the other members — for good reason, when actions are speaking louder than the words being thrown about behind people’s backs in Faulkner County. FCRC leadership "sets the tone" of the meetings and of the Committee. Unfortunately FCRC does not provide members all the information they need to work effectively within the Party. Did you know the Executive Committee somehow decided to give Bollinger free reign to make decisions and choices on their behalf, without first consulting them or FCRC members? When were the members informed of this course of action?

Trust is key. Who is a "real Republican"? Is your past voting record a litmus test on whether you are a "real Republican"? Who gets to determine the "real Republicans" who are given authority and power within the Party? Why is "any R better than any D"? Again, can Party members question the establishment, top-down powers-that-be about these issues?

Is it OK for Party officers to call individual members to sow distrust about other members they do not like? Shouldn't FCRC and its officers focus uniting the Party to elect Republicans instead? Should RPA and FCRC support the Party platform as a successful way to get more Republican voters — or is raising money and taking exorbitant filing fees from anyone who wants an "R" behind their name more important?

Non-Transparency Kills Trust

With no transparency, trust is impossible to maintain.

With transparency also comes an understanding of the way political parties are designed to work, from state law down through the RPA Rules, local rules, and parliamentary procedure (Robert's Rules) that we are told govern all Republican Party activities in Arkansas.

FCRC has done nothing whatsoever over the last few years to educate members about any of these critical guidelines. In fact, FCRC does not provide even new members a set of RPA Rules to read, despite a local "rule" requiring such — a deficiency that was repeatedly brought to the FCRC Executive Committee starting over two years ago but has never been addressed.

FCRC asks prospective members their thoughts on the Party platform, and why are they are joining "now." However, FCRC does nothing after that to support, educate, and inform new members about Party structure, Party meetings and Conventions, or even how the Party Rules work and where they can "fit in" to help. Instead, in 2024, new members who all expressed a desire to become active and participate in the Trump-inspired changes we seek for our country walked right into a power struggle firestorm between grassroots voters and the establishment's insistence on "we've always done it this way" and "it's what Governor Sanders wants."

Why is transparency important? When Party members are fully informed, they obviously make better votes, choices, and decisions when that is asked of them. Is it fair to ask you to make important decisions when you are not given all the reasons, choices, and possible consequences?

Jimmie is being scapegoated because he asks "uncomfortable" questions and has emphasized that he would not vote for a Republican who won't follow the Party platform. He's so strong in his convictions that he joined 20 other Republican Party members in the lawsuit challenging our Secretary of State and RPA Chair Joseph Wood on their refusal to implement closed primaries, as the 2024 State Convention approved — an action highly offensive to the Republican powers-that-be but that will certainly clarify the levers of power. Are the RPA Rules/state law — as clearly stated — being followed, or not?

The word around Arkansas has been that Republicans "only want grassroots voters for their votes and their money, they certainly do not want to hear their opinions!" When "the Ron Paul people" wanted to join forces with the Republicans, the Party handily closed ranks to bar that "negative influence." The tea party joined in great numbers to "turned Arkansas red" in 2010 and 2012, but was even still consistently ignored and rebuffed by the Party. Sorry to say it sure looks like that closed-minded approach still holds true today.

Will grassroots voters, the people, ever gain a real voice in Republican Party affairs in Arkansas? Will FCRC continue its totalitarian, top-down "way we've always done it" approach? Does the Party support that? Do the members?

FCRC holds a meeting on November 25 that’s been deliberately loaded with elected officials — who typically only attend when their votes are needed — to “vote” Jimmie Cavin out of the Party, after giving him 10 minutes to “appeal” this targeted witch hunt. We are told the Executive Committee’s decision has already removed him — and that the restaurant where FCRC meets has banned him (except for November 25!).

But that will not resolve the Party’s problems or help FCRC, it just kills one of the messengers.